


No Exit

by JBankai89



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Decisions, Established Relationship, HP: Epilogue Compliant, Horror, Kids Generation, M/M, Suspense, Thriller, a sequel is in the works, epic sibling bickering, haunted azkaban, low-key Gryffindor mocking, open-ended ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-28 05:36:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8433799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JBankai89/pseuds/JBankai89
Summary: In a Wizarding World at peace, there is little to do that could fall into the realm of dangerous or scary. That is, unless your elder brother is James Potter. Under the pretense of wanting to find Sirius Black's old prison cell, James pesters Teddy Lupin into taking him along with Albus to the wizard prison, Azkaban. Closed for twenty years, the prison has been silent. Will the boys uncover the mystery of its sudden closure, or are they looking for trouble where none exists?





	1. Part 0: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I've been sitting on this one for a while, and it's finally ready to go! Anyone reading my other WIPs needn't worry, I'm not ignoring those in favour of this, it's more or less done, so I won't be dedicating tons of time to it. The chapters for this fic are very short, 2-4 pages at most, and it falls more into the realm of a ficlet rather than an actual fic. 
> 
> Quite AU, given that I didn't have much to work with in terms of canonical personalities, so I made it up as I went along and I pulled what I could from the wiki. As far as I'm concerned Cursed Child never happened(but Al is still in Slytherin). For the purposes of the story, the ages stand thus: Scorpius & Al are 15, James is 17, and Teddy is 23. For the purposes of this story the age of majority is 18 so that James still falls into the underage category.
> 
> Extra special thanks to my lovely braintwin KuriQuinn for betaing this for me and tearing me to shreds in the best possible way. Some of the dialogue in this fic is all hers, so she takes the credit there. If you're into T-rated Naruto fanfiction, definitely check her out, she's brilliant.

No Exit

 

Part 0: Prologue

 

_Twentieth Anniversary of the Closing of Azkaban_

_10 th July, 2021_

 

_A controversial move in its time by Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, especially in the political upheaval following the war, many people questioned the seemingly rash decision to close the prison. So close to the events of the Battle of Hogwarts (2 nd May 1998),the wizarding community was still rife with paranoia and fear, still mourning those they lost in that last harrowing final battle._

_Prior to its closing, one of the Minister's first acts was to remove the Dementors from their posts within the prison. Many people questioned this controversial move, and their presence replaced with Aurors on rotation. This did mean safer conditions for families to visit their incarcerated loved ones, but others still were concerned about the escape rate without the Dementors standing guard._

“ _Considering we had more breakouts with the Dementors in place than without them, I do not feel that the public needs to worry about Dark witches and wizards escaping,” said Auror and war hero Harry Potter, following the announcement. “There are still anti-Apparition enchantments in place upon the island, and the Aurors rotate often enough that complacency will not be an issue. These prisoners aren't going anywhere.”_

_Three years later, the prison was closed and the inmates relocated to new facilities on the mainland, an announcement that caused more than a few raised eyebrows. Shacklebolt's Junior Minister Percy Weasley went on the record saying that the prison had been condemned, and is no longer an ideal building to use as a prison. The Azkaban inmates were then moved to the Sirius Orion Black Memorial Penitentiary. In the years following, there were no breakouts of any kind, and the wizarding world was content with the decision._

_However, the question still remained as to_ why _Azkaban had been closed in the first place._

_On the outside, the building looks the same as it always has, a stronghold for the scum of the wizarding world._

_Following a little digging, it seemed that the decision to build a new prison was not the result of the natural decay of Azkaban itself but something much more sinister._

_It began in 1999 with the sudden death of Death Eater Walden MacNair._

_According to his death record, he was found out of his cell, thirty-three floors down in the incineration rooms beneath Azkaban itself. The incineration rooms had not been used in decades, and how MacNair escaped his cell and why he went down there is a mystery._

_His cause of death is perhaps the most mysterious aspect of the whole incident, as there was deep gash in his forehead, but upon speaking to Healers at St Mungo's Hospital, they claim that it is virtually impossible for someone to bleed out from such a wound so quickly._

_One could write off the man's death as a fluke, but what succeeded it tells us that there was more going on than simply one wayward prisoner._

_Three months after MacNair's death, the body of convicted ex-Ministry official Dolores Umbridge was found in the same place, with the same injury._

_Three months after that, Auror McKinley was found, in the same place, with the same injuries._

_It continued. The records from that time do not indicate what may have been the cause of this rash of murders, nor does it list whether it was committed by man or creature. Regardless of the culprit behind these tragic deaths, after the loss of nine inmates and three Aurors, it was announced that the prison would be closed._

_Did Azkaban truly fall into disrepair, and were the subsequent deaths coincidental, or was there something more sinister lurking in the bowels of the historic prison? One can only speculate, but most curiously, the Anti-Apparition wards surrounding the building have never been taken down. This leads this reporter to wonder, are they in place to keep people out, or keep something in?_

 

_Emma Stryke_

_Special Correspondent_

 

James Sirius Potter lowered the paper, his face glowing with excitement as an idea came to him. He rushed upstairs and burst into his younger brother's room. Albus looked up from the book he'd been reading, and glared at his brother for barging into his room without knocking.

“Al,” James said, his tone breathless in his excitement, “I've got an idea.”


	2. Part I: The Idea

Part I: The Idea

 

 “That is by _far_ the dumbest idea you've ever had,” Albus said, peering over the top of the book in his hands to glare at his older brother, who was grinning from ear to ear. “Sneak into Azkaban? Why, exactly?”

“Al, it's a creepy old abandoned prison that used to house all sorts of mad criminals— _and_ my middle namesake was there too, Dad told me,” James said, then let out a plaintive whine when Albus didn't react, beyond staring at his older brother incredulously. “ _C'mon_ , it'll be fun. Teddy could take us, so it's not like we'd be going without adult supervision. I wanna see his cell, that's all. And Teddy's got that special permission as a historian for the Ministry Archives or something.” James screwed up his face as he tried to remember Teddy's professional title. Archivist hardly equated to Magical Historian, but Albus didn't see much point in correcting the elder Potter.

“Teddy's hardly _adult_ supervision. He's not that much older than us,” Albus countered with a derisive snort, and attempted to bury his nose in his book again. James yanked it down, forcing his brother to listen to him.

“He's of age, so it counts. Come on, educational adventure. It's old, so that means it's historical, right?”

“Hogwarts is old, why aren't you trying to sneak in there?” Albus asked, and James rolled his eyes.

“Al, that's _school._ This is a creepy old building that was a prison. That's _so_ much cooler.”

Albus stared, nonplussed at his brother's pitiful attempt to convince him to come. _It was just_ so _Gryffindor_. The thought passed through his mind at random, reeking of Slytherin superiority. It took a great deal of effort to keep himself from smirking at that—Scorpius would be so proud. “C'mon Al,” James pleaded, eyes wide, “it'll be fun.”

While _fun_ wasn't exactly the word Albus would use to describe wandering around an abandoned building for an afternoon, he could tell that James wasn't going to let up until he either agreed or cursed him.

“Fine,” Albus said with a groan, “I'll come. On _one_ condition.”

“ _Yes!_ Al, this is gonna be so wicked—” James stopped himself short when his brain caught up with what his brother had said. “What's the condition?”

“Scorpius comes too.”

James groaned.

  

~*~

  

“Explain to me again what's so fun about wandering around some old building for an afternoon?” Scorpius asked, repeating Albus's thought from the day before almost word for word. His grey eyes bore into Albus from his spot on the rug in front of his bedroom's fireplace, his Divination dream journal open and the page in front of him was filled with his cramped, tiny handwriting. Scorpius's quill was hovering above the blank segment of the page, his free hand absently toying with the signet ring on his index finger while he waited for Albus to answer.

“I've no idea, but James wouldn't leave me alone about it, so I finally told him that I'd go if you could come too,” Albus said with a shrug, “I figured it'd be easier to cave than put up with his ridiculous whining and pestering had I said no.”

Albus was stretched out next to Scorpius, flicking idly through a thick volume titled, _Eastern Wizardry Through the Ages._ His History of Magic essay that was due at the beginning of the new term was unrolled next to him, and his own quill was abandoned in the ink pot as he read. The Malfoy Manor was the only he could find any peace to get his Summer schoolwork done; especially when one had the grave misfortune of having James Sirius Potter as an exceptionally irritating older brother.

“Grandfather was in there for a short time,” Scorpius said conversationally, as though they were discussing nothing more serious than the weather, and not an infamous prison. “Some of my other relatives who I'm not supposed to know about were in there too.” Scorpius smirked a little, clearly pleased that he knew more about his sordid family history than he was supposed to. “I heard it was awful in there, like prisoners would go mad within weeks or just commit suicide by starving themselves to death and things.”

“Isn't that delightful,” Albus sat up while he marked his place with a spare bit of parchment. “I have no idea _why_ James wants to go so badly—he claims he wants to visit Sirius Black's old cell, but somehow I doubt it. I think it's more likely that it has something to do with that ' _Marauder Heritage'_ he claims I missed out on.”

“'Marauder Heritage'?” Scorpius asked with a snort as he sat up and leant against the side of the sofa that faced the fire.

“My late grandfather and Teddy's dad, along with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew,” Albus explained, closing the distance between them just enough that their outer thighs brushed together. “They called themselves the Marauders when they were in school. Apparently they were notorious for getting themselves into all sorts of trouble, and Sirius was the only Gryffindor of his family, sort of the reverse of me.”

“Sounds like you're not missing out on much, not having that heritage-thing, or whatever it is,” Scorpius said, his voice taking on the familiar Malfoy drawl, which caused Albus to smirk a little.

Albus had always liked coming over to Scorpius's house. Being surrounded by people that wouldn't take the mickey out of him for being sorted into Slytherin always made for a nice change when compared to what he had to put up with at home. His father had always been good about getting his cousins and siblings to leave him alone about it but it still stung. The implication that he was supposed to be _evil_ for being sorted into Voldemort's old house wasn't as upsetting to him as it used to be, but after a while it became exhausting to deal with.

Scorpius Malfoy came from a long line of Slytherins—not all model citizens by any stretch of the word—but his father, Draco, had always been nice to him. Draco always made a point of reminding him that not _all_ Slytherins were set to become the next Dark Lord, which was a small comfort.

“If Dad catches us, I'm dead,” Albus muttered as he stared at the crackling logs in the fire grate. Scorpius hummed his agreement.

“Yeah, if my father hears about this I don't think I'll ever be allowed to socialize with a Potter ever again.”

“You wouldn't be missing much, bunch of pretentious tossers, the lot of them,” Albus said with a grin, while Scorpius reflected his amusement at the remark with a true Malfoy smirk.

Scorpius threw an arm across Albus's shoulders and gave him a small squeeze. “I don't know _how_ you get on with all those Gryffindors running around.”

“It's a test of my patience, _believe_ me,” Albus said, and Scorpius laughed as Albus reached up for the platter that the house elves had left, and grabbed a biscuit.

“Well, if it ever becomes too much,” Scorpius said as he sobered up, “I'll just have to marry you.”

Albus nearly choked on the biscuit in his mouth, and swallowed before he responded.

“Albus Severus Malfoy...” Albus mused with a soft chuckle, “it has a nice ring to it. My Uncle Ron would have a _fit_.”

“All the more reason, then,” Scorpius said, “irritating Weasleys is practically my family's _raison d'_ _ê_ _tre_.”

“Need I remind you that I'm technically half a Weasley?” Albus reached up and threaded his fingers with those that were draped over his shoulder.

“Yes, but you're still a Slytherin, so I feel no inclination to irritate you deliberately.” Scorpius leaned in a little closer, after casting a cursory glance to the closed bedroom door.

“You're such a comfort,” Albus replied sarcastically.

“I do what I can,” Scorpius's voice dropped to a low murmur, and their lips met.

  

~*~

  

“You know, when I promised to take you guys out to Azkaban, I didn't think I'd be chaperoning a pack of Slytherins,” Teddy said as he looked from Scorpius to Albus, and the pair rolled their eyes at the purple-haired young adult.

“There's only two of us, which would make it a _pair_ , not a pack,” Scorpius pointed out with a scowl, “Somehow, I think you'll find the strength to live on.”

Teddy snorted at Scorpius's comment, while Albus bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

“Come on,” Teddy said, still smiling at them with amusement, “Side-Along Apparition. We can't Apparate inside, but there aren't wards on the island part of the...well, _island_ any more. I'll have to take you guys one at a time though, I don't fancy splinching myself.”

The three teens followed Teddy down the street, away from the Potters’ house, and turned up a tree-lined bike path for a little privacy. About halfway down he stopped and turned to face the three teens.

“All right, who wants to come first?” Teddy asked, and James immediately snickered at the double entendre. Albus and Scorpius exchanged a look, though for the moment kept their remarks to themselves. Teddy grabbed James and muttered something under his breath, to which James grinned. Albus didn't catch all the words, but he had a feeling it was something to the effect of, ' _I can't believe you talked me into this.'_ The pair Disapparated with a sharp _crack_.

“How long do you think they'll be?” Scorpius asked as he stared at the spot the pair had disappeared from, frowning a little.

“Assuming Teddy didn't mess up, five minutes, give or take?”

“Oh _that's_ reassuring,” Scorpius said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, and Albus smiled weakly at his boyfriend.

Before Albus had a chance to respond verbally to Scorpius's snark Teddy reappeared, his purple hair tousled and windswept, but otherwise he appeared to be fine.

“C'mon Scorp, you next,” Teddy reached out a hand and waggled his fingers, while Scorpius narrowed his eyes at the young man's wolfish grin.

“ _Don't_ call me that,” he commanded as he stepped forward and grabbed the young man's hand, his fair skin a stark contrast to Teddy's golden-brown complexion. Another _crack_ and they'd gone, leaving Albus standing alone in the path.

Albus watched the way the sunlight danced over the trees while he waited, and within a minute Teddy was back. Albus smiled a little meekly at his cousin, and took his hand without a word.

When they reappeared, Albus fell forward, his palms biting into the dirt as he gasped for breath. It took less than ten seconds for James to comment on his less-than-stellar landing.

“First time Apparating, eh Al?”

“Shut up James,” Albus grumbled, nodding to Scorpius in thanks as the blond pulled him to his feet. As he regained his equilibrium, and he took his first look around where they'd landed.

A tall, forbidding building made of dark stone was erected directly in the centre of the small island, narrow slats in the stone in the places where windows normally would have been. On the far end of the island Albus could see the edges of a cemetery, the rounded mounds of earth the only indicators that bodies had been buried there at all, given that none of them seemed to carry grave markers of any kind. He was struck suddenly how much darker everything seemed, even though it was still day, and Albus felt a chill run through him.

“Wicked,” James said, brown eyes wide and shining with excitement.

Albus felt his stomach tense with nerves as he looked from his brother and back up to the building before him. _Wicked_ wasn't exactly the word he would have chosen to describe what he was seeing. He exchanged a look with Scorpius, who looked somewhat fearful as he shifted his gaze to Azkaban. Albus wondered if he was perhaps thinking of his grandfather, who had been forced to stay here back when their parents had been in school. While making sure James and Teddy were distracted, Albus reached down and gave Scorpius's hand a small squeeze, which he returned at once.

“C'mon guys,” Teddy said as he turned and waved a hand at Albus and Scorpius. His eyes fell to their clasped hands and both boys went a little red. Teddy however had more tact than certain others that had accompanied them here, and he smiled knowingly while James made a mad dash for the doors. Ignoring the look the Hufflepuff was giving him, Albus voiced his niggling doubt that had been plaguing his mind all morning.

“I dunno, Teddy, I'm not sure this was such a good idea...” Albus said, though couldn't exactly explain why he was struck so suddenly by a feeling that they should _not_ go inside. He had always prided himself on being rational, in thinking things through carefully, and something in his gut was telling him that this was an incredibly _bad_ idea.

“Don't worry so much Al, I'm here if you get locked inside a cell or something. And I know the Patronus Charm if we run into any stray Dementors that slipped past the Ministry's big Dementor purge. You've got nothing to worry about; come on,” Teddy said, clapping him on the shoulder. With a sigh of defeat, Albus let himself be led to the doors of the abandoned prison with Scorpius in tow.

“I'd like to point out that I know that charm too, in case you've forgotten,” Albus muttered as he was steered forward. If Teddy heard his remark, he didn't comment on it.

By the doors, James was hopping from foot to foot. Albus didn't think it was much of a stretch to think his older brother wasn't far off from wetting himself from excitement.

“Hurry _up,_ Al!” James called, while Teddy laughed at the young Gryffindor's exuberance.

“We're coming!” Teddy called back, deliberately slowing down a little, which caused James to groan in frustration.

“Yeah, so's Christmas! C'mon!” 

Finally, the would-be responsible adult and the two Slytherins reached the doors to the prison. Albus's feeling of impending doom became more pronounced the closer they got, but he kept his doubts to himself, knowing they would do little to deter James from his determination to break in to the abandoned prison.

Teddy released Albus and stepped up to the doors, whipping out his wand as he went. He tapped the doors and muttered under his breath while the teenagers watched him. He would pause occasionally and mutter, “Oh, very tricky...” before going off again. 

After several tense minutes a slow, winning smile spread over Teddy's face and the steel door clicked and opened with an ominous _creak._ James grinned, but Albus still hadn't managed to shake the feeling of wrongness that plagued him. A hand in his pocket on his wand, the other holding onto to Scorpius, they followed the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff into the building.


	3. Part II: Inside

Part II: Inside

 

The first thing that Albus noticed as they stepped inside was the smell. Stale, stuffy, and a sickly sweetness permeated the air that he didn't care to identify. It was pitch black, and he pulled out his wand at once.

“ _Lumos,_ ” he muttered; Scorpius, Teddy and James followed suit.

The four illuminated wands showed that they were standing in some kind of stone hallway. There were heavy iron doors on either side of them, and at the end of the passageway Albus could just make out two sets of stairs, one going up, the other going down.

“Wow,” James breathed, for once not speaking at the top volume of his voice, “this is so _cool_.” Albus flinched a little, even at a whisper his voice sounded unnaturally loud in the empty space. “Let's g— _urk_!”

James had made to rush forward, but he was stopped short with a strangled yelp when Teddy's arm shot out and grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Let _me_ lead, James,” he said, an edge of nervousness in his tone, “Just...just to be on the safe side.”

Something about Teddy's caution made Albus feel a little better, and he wondered if he, too, could sense the strange _wrongness_ that seemed to hang in the air. Scorpius's hand that squeezed his was holding onto him so tightly that Albus could feel his fingers beginning to go numb.

“Albus,” Scorpius hissed softly, “I don't like this, we should go.” Albus was about to agree, but James cut in before he could say a word.

“Lighten up, Scorp!” James said brightly. Both younger boys winced at the way James's voice seemed to reverberate off the walls, and Scorpius glared at James following the crude nickname. “We'll be fine, this place is _wicked_. Why would you want to go now? We haven't finished looking around yet!”

“Ah, the truth comes out at last!” Albus hissed at James, careful to keep his voice low, “You don't want to see Sirius's old cell at all, you just want to do something dangerous to prove that you're just as brave as Dad or something stupid like that.”

“Yeah, well would you have agreed to come if I'd just said _I want to check out this cool old prison, and you're coming with me?_ ”

“So you lied,” Albus said, and James sputtered as though he had dishonoured his entire family.

“I did not _lie_. Must you be so crude, little brother?”

“No, I believe that's your trick.”

“ _Puh-lease._ I am the embodiment of finesse in all its forms,” James said in such a way he clearly seemed to think was a refined tone of voice. Albus crossed his arms and stared down his brother, disbelief and annoyance riddling his features in equal measure.

“Come _on_. It's not a big deal. My genius plan will make for an entertaining afternoon. Trust me, you'll be thanking me at the end of this,” James said confidently, though somehow, Albus seriously doubted this, and he watched his brother turn to rejoin Teddy in the lead.

“Let's just get this over with,” Albus breathed to Scorpius, and he nodded, resigning himself to follow the others further inside.

Albus found that even their soft footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in the hall, despite his best efforts to slink down the passageway. James kept trying to rush ahead, but Teddy was too quick for him, and kept pulling him back. After the third time and a threat to take him home on the spot, James sobered up and followed just behind Teddy with a frown.

At the end of the hall the group stopped, and Teddy glanced between the two staircases. Shrugging, he dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a single fat galleon.

“Merlin we go up, Phoenix we go down,” Teddy said lowly, and they all nodded silently, while he flicked the coin, allowed it to spin in the air for a moment, then caught it deftly and slapped it onto the back of his hand. The three teens waited with bated breath as Teddy pulled back his hand to reveal the shiny, golden phoenix. “All right,” he whispered, “down we go. Stay close.”

He turned to the down staircase, and James followed eagerly.

 

Albus could not shake the feeling that the darkness around them seemed to be getting...well, _darker_. He couldn't quite explain it, but even with the four illuminated wands, the light would not stretch very far, and as such they could only see a few feet around them in every direction. It was also getting colder the further down they went, though Albus suspected that it was a natural cold, and not a Dementor that may still be lurking about.

The only time Albus had come face to face with a Dementor was with his father, on his insistence that he properly learn the Patronus Charm. Albus was certain he'd never forget that bone-deep chill, and the stark difference between that and the damp, earthly cold he felt now was strangely reassuring, despite the fear he felt. A creepy abandoned building was one thing, Albus didn't like their chances if they came face-to-face with a _real_ Dementor. The Boggart version had been bad enough.

At the bottom of the staircase was a thick steel door that gave easily when Teddy pushed it, and it opened with a groan of protesting, rusted hinges. While they waited, Albus felt his breath hitch as a finger prodded him sharply just above his left shoulder blade. His head whipped around, and he glared at his brother.

“Don't do that,” he whispered in a soft hiss; as it had back on the ground level, his voice seemed to carry alarmingly far.

“Do what?” James whispered back, his brow knitted together in confusion.

“Poke me, you prat.”

“I didn't touch you!”

“Guys, shut it.” Teddy glared at the two Potters, while they were still shooting each other annoyed stares. Under Teddy's withering eye, they both fell silent. “Come on, and keep quiet,”

Teddy nodded towards the now open door, and after a moment's hesitation the trio followed him inside.

The passageway they now found themselves in was lined with prison cells, most of them open and empty. Teddy was in the lead, closely followed by James, with Albus and Scorpius bringing up the rear.

They had barely crossed the door's threshold, and it suddenly swung shut with a loud _bang_.

They all whipped around, eyes wide, and Teddy rushed back at once, holding his wand high above him. Albus could feel Scorpius shaking, and he tried to squeeze his hand in reassurance, though he wasn't feeling overly confident himself.

Teddy grabbed the handle and pulled, but the door seemed to be stuck. He planted a foot against the wall and even in the near-complete darkness Albus could see Teddy's arm muscles tensed, pulling on the handle with all his strength. He let it go with a grunt, and crouched down to illuminate the handle and lock.

“I don't think it's locked,” he whispered, still keeping his voice low, “just stuck. We might want to try and find another way out.”

“Why does that strike me as _not_ a good idea,” Albus asked under his breath, then shifted his gaze from Teddy to James. “This is all your fault, it was stupid to come here, and now we're gonna starve to death in the bloody basement of an old prison.”

“Relax, we can just use a speaking Patronus to call for help,” Teddy suggested. Uncertainty pass over his features the moment he said it, however. Not that Albus could blame him. Which adult was least likely to skin them alive for sneaking off to this place?

“Uncle Ron?” James asked uncertainly.

 “Dad?” Albus asked after a moment of silence, and James's eyes widened at Albus's suggestion; he shook his head with silent, open-mouthed horror.

“What about Weasley?” Scorpius suggested uncertainly, but it shifted to confusion when his words were met with three identical blank looks.

“Wanna specify which one you mean, Scorp?” James asked as Scorpius glowered at James, who grinned.

“George. He was rather known for causing mayhem while at school, wasn't he? My Father complained about his disruptive shenanigans almost as much as he complained about _your_ Father in general.” He nodded towards the two Potters, and Albus snorted. James appeared confused, but Albus could not count the amount of times he'd heard Draco praise him for being _the only Potter with a shred of decency_. This statement was usually followed by a full-blown rant about his father. He'd grown so used to hearing them that he never felt that offended that the man was openly badmouthing his own father. Somehow, he doubted that the sentiment was genuine.

“I hate to say it,” Teddy said, “but Al might be right. Harry's gonna kill me, but he's an Auror, so if there's any... _stuff_ hanging about, he'd be best to deal with it. Now shut up, I have to concentrate.” Teddy screwed up his eyes as he focused, and flicked his wand as he whispered confidently, “ _Expecto Patronum!_ ”

The huge, hulking silver figure erupted from the tip of his wand and bounded through the solid stone wall at the right side of the passage. Scorpius stared.

“Why in the seven hells is Teddy's Patronus a _werewolf_?” He hissed at Albus, “I thought that was supposed to be a charm made from positive energy!” Scorpius's eyes were wide, though this time from shock instead of fear.

“I'll explain if we ever get out of here,” Albus replied. His insides were tangled in frightened knots, and he moved to follow the others as they padded as silently as they could down the hall.

The passageway seemed unnaturally long to Albus, and more than once he whipped his head around, certain that he'd heard the hiss of whispers following them. The third time this happened, he turned and for a moment, he was certain he could see the silhouette of a man standing just behind him. When he lifted his wand however, there was nothing there.

“Albus?” Scorpius asked uncertainly the third time it had happened. “Are you all right?”

“I just thought I saw...” he cut himself off and shook his head, “never mind. Let's go.”

Hands still clasped tightly together, they hastened to follow the others. They stopped short however when they saw James turn back to them, his eyes falling to their hands. Going rather red, both boys jumped apart, but the damage had been done. James grinned.

“I should've known you'd be a fairy,” he said, laughter in his tone, “You know, Uncle Ron is going to _kill_ you for dating a Malfoy.”

“Shut up,” Albus snapped, careful to keep his voice low. “You can harp on my excellent taste in men when we get out of here, all right?” James choked on a derisive laugh, but for once didn't rise to the comment. He turned back to follow Teddy, and Albus reached for Scorpius's hand. After a moment's hesitation he took it, while Albus offered him an apologetic smile. The young Malfoy returned it, but kept quiet. Perhaps he, too, was wondering how quickly James was likely to blurt it out when his father arrived to get them out of here.

The end of the passageway came upon them rather suddenly. The quartet was now far too unnerved to bother with much 'looking around'. Even James's normal enthusiasm was muted, and his eyes were clouded with the beginnings of genuine fear.

They had found another steel door, beyond which they assumed was another staircase. On either side of the shut door were two cells, though sturdier than the others. They were more heavily reinforced, with windowless steel doors instead of the usual barred sort. Both doors were ajar, and they could see a dark stain that adorned the thin, abandoned mattress in the cell to the left side. The stone walls of the cell had been burnt black in places, though Albus could not tell if it was the result of a curse or fire.

Teddy dragged the heavy door open, it thankfully giving way under his strength, and inside it showed another set of staircases. One leading further underground, the other back up. Both directions were equally dark, and the heavy stone that surrounded them utterly muted the outside world.

The silence was heavy, as though it carried actual weight to it, and Albus's fear was playing havoc on his stomach as a wave of nauseous fear nearly overwhelmed him. His refusal to fall to pieces in front of James was the only thing keeping him standing at the moment—if he freaked out now he'd never hear the end of it.

“I think we should go back up,” Teddy said as softly as he could, “we might be able to find a way back to the exits from there, and— _ahhhhh!_ ”

Teddy's frightened cries echoed through the narrow space as he was dragged suddenly backward by an unseen force and into one of the adjacent cells. The door slammed shut of its own volition, and from inside the trio could hear Teddy's screams continue unabated.

“ _Teddy!_ ” James leapt forward at once and pulled on the door handle, but it wouldn't budge.

Horrified by the screams that continued to fill the silence, Albus jumped forward to help his brother, but even with both of them tugging on the door handle with all their strength, it was as though it had been welded shut and would not move.

As they struggled with the door, Teddy continued to scream.

Abruptly, silence fell.

At the same moment, James and Albus's efforts seemed to have finally dislodged the stuck door, and it swung open sharply. Panting, both boys peered shakily inside the cell, their lit wands held high.

“Teddy?” James called uncertainly, squinting his eyes as he looked inside.

The cell was empty; Teddy was gone.


	4. Part III: Alone

Part III: Alone

 

“What just happened?” Albus demanded in the silence that followed, his eyes bulging in their sockets as he stared into the empty cell. “What the _hell_ just happened?” He whipped around to face his brother, his usual meek calm gone, and replaced with grief-stricken fury. He shoved James, hard. “This is all _your_ fault! If you hadn't made Teddy take us here, none of this would've happened!”

“How was I supposed to know that a mad ghost would kidnap him?” James snapped in return, shoving Albus back, hard enough that he stumbled back several paces and directly into Scorpius.

Albus straightened up and glared at his older brother.

“Stop it, both of you!” Scorpius snapped when Albus opened his mouth to offer up an angry retort. He snapped his mouth shut and turned to the young Malfoy. “Besides,” he continued, a faint tremor of fear edging his words, “I don't think it's a ghost, at least, not in the way you're thinking of it.”  
  
“How d'you mean?” James blinked, puzzled. He looked over to Albus, who was eyeing the other Slytherin with momentary confusion, then his eyes widened in understanding.

“You think it's a vengeful spirit.”

Scorpius nodded, and looked over the cell that had held Teddy not minutes before.

“I do. It's the only thing I can think of that might make sense.”

“Hang on,” James turned to Scorpius, confusion written all over his face, “you said it's _not_ a ghost, but it _is_ a vengeful spirit? What's the difference?” Scorpius shifted his gaze to Albus, cocking a brow, but he merely nodded, inviting him to explain.

“A ghost is the imprint of a living soul that has chosen not to go on—”

“On?” James interrupted, looking more confused than ever, “on where?”

“I don't know,” Scorpius hissed exasperatedly, “just... _on_. To the afterlife, to the next life, however you want to call it. But a vengeful spirit is sort of...sort of like a jigsaw spirit. Partial imprints are left behind, and after some time they fuse together into something...dark.”

Scorpius frowned and fell silent suddenly—not that Albus could blame him—as at that moment the trio looked around at the sudden sound that filled the silence.

A soft skittering in the walls, like dozens of rats.

Albus was deeply unsettled that they couldn't hear the sounds of the wind and sea outside, but they could hear _rats_. Something about it wasn't right.

“Partial imprints are born of madness, anger, jealousy. The thirst for vengeance,” Scorpius whispered, his voice shaking, “Nothing good leaves partial imprints behind. If it truly is a vengeful spirit, we need to get out of here, now.” Scorpius glanced from Albus to James and back again, his wide eyes betraying his fear.

“There was one in one of the conference rooms at home,” Scorpius continued when neither Potter spoke up. “Father would not say where it had come from, or why it was there, but it was a room he wouldn't enter, and was furious when he found me in there one day.” The young Slytherin paused, looking away for a moment before returning his gaze to the pair, “We should consider finding a way out and getting to your father as quickly as possible.”

“Not without Teddy,” James said at once, his hard, forceful tone all but daring either of the younger teens to contradict him. “It's my fault he was taken, we can't just leave him here.”

“It would be smarter to look for a way out _first,_ then come back for him. It won't do him any good if we're the spirit's next victims,” Scorpius said evenly, trying to plead to James's nonexistent common sense.

“I'm _not_ going anywhere without him, what part of that did you not understand?” James's low growl of anger stopped Scorpius short, and he seemed to sense that arguing with James was a lot cause.

“All right, fine,” Scorpius said, the tone betraying to Albus that while he disagreed with the sentiment, he knew that arguing further wouldn't get them anywhere. “How do you propose we look for him?”

“Easy,” James said confidently, though his voice trembled slightly in the aftershock of losing Teddy. “I have this special spell I've been working on for finding people, like a Tracking Charm, but a little different. Watch.” James squinted his eyes as he focused, and flicked his wand sharply, “ _Investigare Metamorphmagi!_ ”

At once, a tiny little pinprick of light flew out of the tip of James's wand, like a bright blue firefly.

James turned to the others and grinned, “What d'you think?”

Albus and Scorpius blinked and stared bemusedly at the tiny, floating light.

“You invented a spell _just_ to locate Teddy? And you call _me_ a fairy,” Albus said, smirking a little when James glared at him. Scorpius pressed his lips in a thin line to keep from laughing.

“Not _just_ Teddy, you prat,” James snapped, his brow furrowed in annoyance. “It's a spell that locates people based on something unique to them. Teddy's the only Metamorphmagus we know, so it's sort of easy to single him out. You I'd just have to say the biggest bloody pouf I'm related to and my brilliant spell would find you in a heartbeat.”

“Or it would find me because I'm standing _right here_.”

“Is it me,” James said with an accusatory tone, “or are you not denying the fact that you're a great, big, cocksucking—”

“Can you please save your profound wit for when we're _not_ trapped in a haunted prison?” Albus asked while he glared at his older brother. Scorpius's hand in his tensed a little, and he wondered if Scorpius thought James was being genuinely bigoted. Albus squeezed his hand, hoping he would find comfort in the gesture.

“Fine,” James replied with a snort, “But I have some excellent new nicknames for you when we get out of here.”

“Git,” Albus muttered under his breath, glaring at James's back as he turned around to face the little pinprick of light.

“It's such a comfort that your brother is so supportive of you,” Scorpius drawled. The return of the trademark Malfoy tone caused James to glance back with a grin.

“Damn right it is,” James said proudly, “Do you have any idea how many people I've had to curse to keep them off his back? It's no easy task being the eldest, let me tell you. And then, of course, there's _you._ Do you have any idea how many pranks I've had to hold off on because Mister Enormous Pouf here thinks you've got the softest hair and the prettiest eyes he's ever seen?” Albus went very red.

“I _never_ said that.”

“You curse people for him, but then you go off calling him every synonym for Homosexual you can think of?” Scorpius asked, his eyebrows raised so high they were in danger of disappearing into his hairline.

“I'm not about to let anyone _else_ call him those names,” James's mouth quirked into a grin, “I've got the monarchy on taking the piss out of him.”

“ _Monopoly,_ ” Albus corrected, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“Yeah, that too. C'mon, let's get going.” James spun back round to face the door, while Scorpius leaned in close to Albus.

“Was he dropped on his head as a child or something?” Scorpius whispered, his tone soft enough enough that James did not seem to catch the words.

“Twice, according to Uncle Ron,” Albus replied in the same low voice, while they both watched the older teen refocus his attention on his conjured firefly.

“Lead us to Teddy Lupin,” James said confidently.

For a moment, the little light did nothing at all.

Then, as though suddenly charged with power, it zipped through the open doorway and down the staircase. James hastened to follow it, but Albus was again struck by a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't so sure going deeper underground was such a good idea, but before he could even begin to voice a protest, James had taken off into the gloom. They descended into the dark after him, while Albus's heart took up residence in his throat as his fear steadily became more pronounced.

The further down they walked, the denser the darkness seemed to become. The light of their illuminated wands still refused to stretch very far, and while they could still hear James' heavy footfalls ahead of them as he chased after his little light that he'd conjured, they could not see him. Around them, the _skritch-skratch_ in the walls was becoming louder, and Albus was beginning to wonder whether it actually was rats, or perhaps something else.

When they'd reached the next landing, Albus felt his stomach drop and Scorpius's soft whisper voiced the question he _really_ didn't want to hear.

“Where's James? Wasn't he just ahead of us?”

Panic replaced the fear, and without a word Albus rushed for the closed door that was just ahead of them, barely visible in the dark. Albus closed his hand around the handle of the door, only to lurch it back with a hiss of surprise.

Something wet, sticky, and warm clung to the metal. Even before using his lit wand to inspect it, he had a feeling that he knew what it was.

Blood.

“Albus,” Scorpius's voice sounded very far away, and when he looked up, the other boy's face was lined with worry.

“James...” Albus felt as though he would be sick, and without missing a beat, Scorpius drew him into a tight embrace. Albus clung back to him, and Scorpius kissed him once, hard, before breaking off with a sharp, frightened breath.

“We'll get him back. Him _and_ Teddy. Don't forget, your father's coming, we just need to keep our heads until then.”

Scorpius held him close while Albus tried to calm down, but blind panic had begun to set in, and all he could see was the solitary fact that Teddy and James were _gone_.

“What are we going to do?” Albus asked him hoarsely, “I—my dad's good at stuff like this, not me. My God, what if James—” Albus's voice cracked, and he felt close to tears.

“Albus,” Scorpius tried, but he was too far gone as he backed out of the offered embrace and clutched his head in his hands; his eyes bulged as he began to hyperventilate. “ _Albus!_ ” His head jerked up at the sharp hiss, and he stared at Scorpius with the same wide-eyed terror. “You need to calm down. James is _not_ dead. We'll find him, your father will find us and _‘save the bloody day_ ’ _,_ as my father always says.”

Albus couldn't help but smirk a little at that. Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter's lifelong rivalry was not lost on either of the boys, and at the moment it was strangely heartening to hear.

“We just need to think about this logically,” Scorpius continued, “chances are Teddy and James were taken somewhere, we just need to work out _where_ the spirit may have taken them. And we need to arm ourselves.”

“Right, arm ourselves,” Albus whispered, straining his memory as he thought back to his Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons, both at school and with his father. “Vengeful spirits need to be purified to get rid of them—salt, iron, amethyst, quartz, fairy tears.”

Albus rattled off everything he knew that could possibly help them, and struggled to keep the cynicism in his tone to a bare minimum. As if they had any of those things handy.

“Let's start with iron,” Scorpius replied evenly, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapping it gingerly around the handle of the door. With Albus's help, they shouldered it open.

They were faced with another impossibly long hallway, and at once Scorpius stepped over to one of the cells. With a quick Severing Charm, he cut a few of the bars from the whole and levitated them into the air. After a few quick transfiguration spells, Scorpius handed Albus a iron baton, similar in size and shape to a fencing sword, though much heavier. He did the same for himself, and transferred the iron rod to his free hand.

“That's the best we can do for now,” Scorpius whispered, “unless we suddenly come across a cache of crystals or something.”

Albus snorted, but nodded, grateful that Scorpius seemed to be keeping it together, at least more than he was at any rate. His thoughts were still stuck on Teddy and James, and how utterly hopeless finding them seemed to be.

“I think it's likely that the spirit may have dragged them down, not up,” Scorpius whispered as they began to advance down the hall, their illuminated wands held high in an effort to see through the dark.

Albus's stomach churned at the words, the idea of his brother and Teddy being dragged _anywhere_ in this place filled him with cold dread. If those two weren't able to stand up to this thing, what chance did they have, really?

“Albus? Are you listening?” Scorpius's voice snapped him out of his daze, and he turned to him, his angular face thrown into sharp relief by the wandlight.

“Yeah, sorry, I just...” he shook his head as he trailed off. “Never mind, let's just go.”

With their wands held high, they continued down the passageway, the only sound in the air their fevered breaths and shuffling footsteps. The scratching in the walls suddenly stopped, and the silence weighed heavily upon both of them. Albus felt terribly cold, and sick, and he was beginning to feel as though this whole endeavour to find the others was fruitless. He opened his mouth to voice his doubts to Scorpius, when out of the dark loomed a figure he'd only seen during his Defence lessons with his father.

The Dementor towered over them, hidden beneath a ragged, black cloak. Glistening, scabbed hands extended towards them from under its tattered robe; cold, rattling breaths drew closer as the Dementor swept towards them, and a bone-deep chill he'd hoped he'd never have to feel outside of a Defence lesson enveloped him. Albus struggled to focus. He _knew_ this. His father told him what to do, and for the first time since they'd arrived in this horrid place, Albus felt a small spark of confidence fill him.

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” He cried, and focused as hard as he could on a happy memory, _any_ happy memory. Barely a wisp of silvery vapour escaped the tip of his wand, and he hissed a curse as the Dementor bore down upon him.

“Damn it,” Albus growled to himself, “come on, you _know_ this!” The image of his family, happy, safe, and together floated into his mind's eye, and he tried again. “ _Expecto Patronum!_ ”

A silver fawn sprang from the tip of his wand and promptly chased down the hulking, horrid creature, successfully driving it well away from him.

The warmth of the dank passageway did not return, but Albus's heart felt lighter, and that told him that the Dementor was indeed gone. He turned to smile with relief at Scorpius, but instead found himself staring at dead air.

He was alone.


	5. Part IV: Help

Part IV: Help

 

Albus stared at the empty space, and held his wand high as he looked around, his eyes wide with panic.

Scorpius was nowhere to be seen.

Albus’s terrified breaths came out in short gasps. He paused his frantic searching when he saw something on the ground roughly two feet ahead of him. He rushed forward and snatched up the thing. It was Scorpius's Malfoy signet ring, sticky with fresh blood.

The world seemed to tilt and Albus closed his fist around the bloodied ring, while he raked his other hand through his hair. He had no idea what to do next.

“Okay,” he whispered to himself softly, “calm down, you need to focus. Your friends need you, and you're no good to them if you lose your head.”

Albus took several slow, deep breaths, then with the bloodstained ring clutched in his hand, he hurried down the passageway towards the next set of doors.

The rusted hinges groaned, protesting the movement as Albus shouldered the door open. Instead of the two sets of stairs he'd expected to see, there was one solitary staircase leading downwards. Unlike the rest of the prison, which was likely under some sort of preservation charm, these stairs showed every hallmark of their age. The surrounding walls were cracked, the stairs themselves crumbling, and to Albus it looked more like the mouth of a cave rather than part of an old building.

Bracing himself for the worst, he transferred the ring to his pocket and brandished his lit wand as well as the iron baton Scorpius had made for him. Treading carefully, he descended the steps. His wandlight flickered off the walls, making every shadow look like a threat. His mind-numbing fear seemed to sink through to his very bones, and he stumbled when he reached the landing much sooner than he had anticipated.

Like every level preceding it, the darkness was as thick as a fog. Instead of a door directly in front of him, Albus stepped through a high archway and upon closer inspection he found four enormous iron doors, each at least eight or nine feet high and five feet wide. Albus noticed a narrow slat in the centre of the door closest to him, and he moved to peer through it. He squinted, poking his wand through the hole, and he gasped sharply when he recognized that shock of purple hair. “Teddy?”

“So nice of you to join us,” Teddy mumbled hoarsely, though he didn't move. Something dark was shining on the side of his head, and Albus knew at once that it was blood.

“James?” Albus called out hopefully. “Scorpius?”

“Here,” Scorpius called out, his voice weak, closely followed by a groan that could only belong to his brother.

Albus felt his shoulders sag with relief, and he stepped back, looking from one door to the next, trying to work out how to best get them out.

“Don't worry guys,” he said with a confidence that he didn't feel. “I'll get you—”

His words cut off sharply as he felt something like a hand but _not_ a hand close around his throat. He cried out in shock and fear as he was suddenly thrown across the space, and slammed into one of the doors. Albus hissed in pain, his head snapping back and hitting the metal sharply, and both the iron baton and his wand tumbled from his fingers. The wand extinguished as though he'd uttered _Nox_ and both instruments disappeared into the dark.

Slightly stunned from the sudden attack, Albus began pawing at the ground around him, searching feverishly for his wand. He let out a sigh of relief when his fingers closed around the thin wood, and he whispered a hasty, “ _Lumos_ ,” and lifted his wand high.

The space was empty.

His heart lodged in his throat, Albus opened his mouth to call out.

Before he had a chance to utter even a syllable, he was once more thrown across the space, and to his horror he saw that he was heading straight for a stone wall. Albus threw his arms out to protect himself, and cried out as his forearm came in contact with the stone, the bone breaking on impact and its sharp _crack_ cut through the silence violently.

Albus crawled to his feet on trembling limbs, his arm braced against his chest as he looked around, but again the spirit seemed to have vanished.

He could distantly hear an echoed banging, and a high, shrill giggle that sounded unsettlingly like a small child. Albus pressed himself back into the stone, his eyes desperately searching for a nonexistent way out. The banging and laughter slowly drew nearer, and the hoarse cries and screams of his family and friends surrounded him. A dark shadow loomed in front of him, the rough shape of a man but it seemed to be made of smoke and vapour, but somehow more solid.

Albus pressed himself more firmly against the stone, his breath stolen away and his eyes wide. The figure made no movement to approach him, but its mere presence made his skin tingle unpleasantly.

Suddenly, a bright light filled the room, and Albus screwed his eyes shut. At the same moment, he heard a deep, commanding voice cry, “ _Ferrusortia!_ ”

The sound of the familiar voice filled him with relief, and he slid down the wall as a high shriek filled the air, and he opened his eyes long enough to see the muted silver of a curse collide with the spirit. The curse hit it forcefully, and it forced the spirit straight at him, and Albus shivered as he felt the spirit pass through him and into the wall at his back. He gagged as his fright hit its peak, and the sensation of the spirit passing through him was like he'd suddenly been doused in ice water.

It took a moment for Albus to recover from the shock of the sudden attack upon the spirit and its subsequent disappearance. The light he'd seen when his father arrived was not nearly as bright as Albus thought it was, but after so long in the dark, it had appeared blinding at first glance.

His father stood there holding a handful of fire, long, dusky Auror's robes encasing his frame, brandishing his wand in his other hand. His eyes were narrowed with fury as he went from door to door, and freed Teddy, James, and Scorpius.

Albus didn't move as he watched his father, stepping into each chamber one by one, and helped them walk out. Each of them sported a deep gash along the left side of their hairline, and their skin was a bone white that had little to do with the blood loss.

His father ushered each boy in turn over to where Albus sat, and when Scorpius finally joined them he stood before the quartet with his arms crossed.

“All right,” he said at last, “whose brainless idea was it to go gallivanting off to Azkaban?” He focused on James, and the teen's eyebrows shot up in mock innocence.

“What're you looking at me for?”

“Because you are just dumb enough to talk your brother into tagging along, and persistent enough to pester Teddy into taking you.” He crossed his arms and stared down at his eldest son through narrowed eyes. “Do you think we would have closed Azkaban if not for a good reason? The vengeful spirits that haunt this place were killing off prisoners and guards indiscriminately, and it was far too dangerous to keep open. It was _supposed_ to stay sealed off, as there are precious few ways to properly destroy spirits as strong as the ones that reside here. Thanks to you lot, I'll be undertaking some delightful overtime, heading the team that will replace the wards here, to ensure that no more idiotic teenagers try to break in.” He glared down at James in particular as he enunciated the word _idiotic,_ but Albus was still to shaken to be pleased at the sight of his brother getting scolded.

“We'll continue this discussion later,” Harry said with an irritated sigh, “the curse I cast won't keep it away for long, I and need to get you four to St. Mungo's. Then we'll see about punishments; both Andromeda and Draco are far from pleased.” Albus watched in the low light as both Scorpius and Teddy's skin tone went from unnaturally pale to a sickly green. His father pulled a small book from his pocket and held it out to them.

“Come on, Portkey,” he said, and the four youths obediently reached out to grab hold. As Albus felt the telltale pull of a hook behind his navel, a deep chill filled his form, but his cry of surprise was cut short as Azkaban disappeared around them.

 

~*~

  

After arriving at St. Mungo's, Albus's arm was mended and the other three were treated for blood loss and head trauma. They were all given several doses of potion for shock under Harry's watchful eye, as though he was certain they'd go sneaking off somewhere else if he turned his back on them.

Albus was quiet, his stomach churning with guilt. His body still felt strangely cold, despite the fact that the Healers had given him a clean bill of health. He chalked it up to the aftereffects of the ordeal, and tried to ignore the feeling.

He knew it hadn't been his idea, but Albus knew that he had been the one to drag Scorpius along, and he felt awful about putting someone he cared about in such danger. While he looked on and watched the Mediwizards treat the others, a rather harassed-looking Trainee Mediwizard hurried in, and murmured softly in Harry's ear. He glanced quickly at Scorpius, then back to the Trainee and nodded once. Albus felt all the colour drain from his face as they hurried back out, and his suspicion was confirmed almost at once as Draco Malfoy burst through the doors, dressed in solid black and looking furious.

“Potter,” he sneered, glaring daggers at his father, then strode across the room and stood directly in front of James with his arms crossed. Albus was marginally pleased that James couldn't meet the older Malfoy's gaze, and instead suddenly found his trainers utterly fascinating. “Your dear father has given me leave to curse you into next week for endangering my son. Give me a good reason why I shouldn't.”

The sneer of his voice was a tone Albus was familiar with, but the dangerous edge to it wasn't something he heard often, and he knew that Draco was a man of his word. If he did not like James's answer, there was no doubt in Albus's mind that the older man _would_ curse him.

“I..er...I...” James looked up nervously, then his eyes flicked to his brother. “Albus made us take him along!”

“I only said that if you're making me go, I wanted Scorpius to come with me!” Albus snapped angrily, glaring across the room at James.

“Which means you're the one who made him go!”

“It is not! You're the one who made _me_ go in the first place! I just wanted someone there with actual _brains,_ and not be stuck when your stupid idea went sideways, which, by the way, it did!” Albus's voice lifted several octaves as he yelled, utterly oblivious to the adults listening to their argument. “If it wasn't for Scorpius we'd all be dead and you know it!”

“That is _so_ not true! I had everything under control!”

“When was that James, when Teddy was kidnapped by a mad spirit, or when your stupid spell backfired and got _you_ snatched?”

“Don't call my spell stupid, it did what it was supposed to!”

“And what's that, nearly get us all killed?”

“Enough!” Harry roared. Both boys snapped their mouths shut and looked up to their father, who was standing next to Draco and looking highly irritated. “None of you were in the right setting foot on that island, least of all _you_ , Teddy,” his gaze shifted to the eldest of the group, and Teddy hung his head.

“I'm sorry Harry, I didn't think...” Teddy said feebly, and Albus watched his father snort.

“ _That_ is obvious.”

Casting one last withering glare at James, Draco took Scorpius by the shoulder and steered him from the ward. Albus stared at his knees; he could feel Draco's eyes on him, but he could not bring himself to meet the older man's gaze. Albus shivered; why did he feel so _cold_?

“I believe you two are well enough to face your mother's wrath,” Harry said evenly, which caused Albus and James's gazes to snap up and focus on their father. He raised his eyebrows at the pair, “you thought I _wouldn't_ tell her?”

“Granddad Weasley never tattled on his kids to Grandmother, Uncle George told me,” James said sullenly, while he frowned and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, well, I'm not Arthur. Come on,” Harry said, the corner of his mouth twitching as though he was trying to keep from smiling. The two boys got up and shuffled to follow their father, hanging their heads. Albus shivered again, hoping the cold that wouldn't leave him had something to do with his dread at facing his mother. In the reflection of the door however, he was certain that he could see someone standing just behind him.

Albus whipped around, but no one was there.

“Come on Al,” Harry called, and Albus turned back to see his father and brother standing at the ajar door. “Dilly-dallying won't make this any easier.”

Nodding sadly, he hastened to follow the other two Potters.

  

~*~

 

The moment Albus and James got home, they were drawn into a bone-crushing hug by their mother, so tightly that their heads knocked together. They both yelped, reaching up to where James's head had collided with his own. Ginny drew back and promptly cuffed James around the head, much to Albus's amusement.

“Ow, Mum!” James yelped and threw his arms over his head in an attempt to protect himself.

She swatted him again and again, punctuating the smacks with her furious verbal reprimands. “You stupid, stupid, _stupid_ boy! What the hell were you thinking, going off to Azkaban and dragging your brother with you?”

She swatted him again for good measure, James wincing at his mother's shrill yells.

“Ow, Mum! Stop hitting me!” She moved as though to smack him again, but his father caught her wrist, and her furious gaze whipped to him.

“I think nearly getting killed has taught them a lesson about sneaking off to dangerous places,” he said evenly, but both Albus and Ginny snorted in unison.

“Don't bet on that, Harry Potter,” she said while she glared at her eldest, yanking her wrist from his grip.

 _As if anything gets through that thick skull of his_ , Albus thought, his arms crossed.

“But...I...But... _Albus is seeing Scorpius Malfoy!_ ” James said in protest, pointing a shaking finger at his younger brother, who rolled his eyes. _That certainly didn't take very long,_ he thought as Lily peered around the corner from the sitting room to watch the scene with a small smile playing across her lips.

“And?” Harry asked, cocking a brow. James sputtered, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, apparently in shock at his father's lack of reaction to the news.

“He's...he's gay?” James said, forming the statement as a question, and both of their parents snorted.

“Everyone has their sexuality phases,” he said patiently, an eyebrow cocked at his eldest, in a clear _So what?_ Expression. “For some, Homosexuality is a phase, for others it's the other way round. Your brother can date whomever he likes, as can you, which we told you when you first started your fourth year, as you recall.” 

“Now is not the time to discuss the inner workings of human sexuality however,” Ginny added, her voice still edged with anger as she looked like she would love nothing more than give James a few more smacks for good measure. “I want both of you in bed,” she said as she looked at them both with the same angry glare, and Albus dropped his gaze. “No supper. We'll discuss the consequences of nearly getting yourselves killed in the morning.”

Albus knew that there was no sense in arguing; they trudged up the stairs and to their respective bedrooms. Albus still felt awful about what he'd put Scorpius through, and fleetingly he wondered if after everything Draco would ever let him see his son again. Based on how furious he was, it didn't seem likely. The idea made Albus feel, if possible, even worse.

Upon reaching his own bedroom, Albus shut the door securely, ignited his bedside gas lamp, and shrugged out of his clothes. He trembled with the same cold he'd felt for the better part of the evening, and despite the sweltering heat of midsummer, he dug out a jumper and long pyjama bottoms and pulled them on before he burrowed under the covers.

The stark shadows cast by his bedside lamp made Albus's stomach roil with fear, each one reminding him of spirits, blood, and solitude.

Albus pressed his pillow over his head with a soft whimper, and with it hindering his vision, he did not notice the strange black fog that seemed to lift from his body. It floated through the air on a nonexistent breeze, stopped above his lamp. It closed over the flame, dousing it at once.

Albus trembled and pulled the blankets closer around himself, utterly oblivious to the dark silhouette that watched over him as he went to sleep, the only thought passing through his mind was the question of whether he'd ever see Scorpius again.

The figure dissolved, and the fog settled itself over Albus and sunk into his flesh. The teenager shivered and drew his duvet closer around him. Black, viscous fluid streaked the boy's cheek like a tear, and his dreams dissolved into the realm of nightmares. He whimpered feebly, but did not wake.

 

_Finis._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I had a lot of fun playing with this story, and I'd love to write a sequel for it, though with the ridiculous amount of WIPs I'm currently working on, it might take a while. I hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> Until next time,  
> xox James


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